Guest Author: Judythe Morgan

Judythe Morgan

Best Laid Plans

I plot and plan my books. But sometimes life interrupts those plans. Here’s the latest example.

This blog with Delia was scheduled at the beginning of 2017 when I fully planned to have the fourth (and final) book in the PROMISES Series published.

Sadly, that didn’t happen. Instead, I suffered from the prophetic words found in one of Robert Burns' poems. “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.”

You probably recognize the quote better as “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

My writing timetable for the PROMISES series imploded with an unscheduled relocation last summer. Finding time to write slipped away replaced with house hunting, packing, unpacking, and resettling.

Hurricane Harvey further complicated our transition and added more delay to my scheduled book releases.

No matter how much or how carefully we prepare and plan, life does happen and disrupt plans. I believe that all things happen within God’s perfect plan for our lives, but that doesn’t make the disappointment or results of plans gone awry any less disappointing.

I was ready to give up on the series, but my characters wouldn’t allow me to quit. They shouted in my head, how could you ignore your promise to tell our stories? A tough question considering the series theme is about keeping promises!

Not only were my characters protesting, everywhere I looked articles and announcements about the recovery of POW/MIA remains missing in military actions after years and years caught my attention. I viewed it as more confirmation that Shirley and David’s story need to be told.

With renewed determination, I started again with a new schedule to complete the series. Until He Returns, the book announced for last summer now releases this month and the last book in the series, the one I’d scheduled for this blog, will now release in 2018.

Best laid plans gone awry, but new plans in place. Perhaps others can relate.

Have you had any of your plans go awry?

Share your experience in the comments below along with your email address and be entered in a drawing for a free eReader copy of Until He Returns, Book 3 of the PROMISES series.

About Until He Returns:

Shirley Carlson’s husband has been MIA in Vietnam for decades. She’s filled her life with family, friends, her business, and David Sands’ companionship. Now David wants more. Only she wants her husband home and buried before she moves forward with another relationship.

David Sands has loved Shirley for years, patiently waiting for her to come to terms with her husband’s death. After one last assignment to the Middle East, he’s retiring from the Army. All he wants is Shirley at his side, as his wife. He proposes before he deploys.

Will Shirley make a commitment without closure to her past life, or will she watch her new love walk away?

About the Author:

Award-winning author Judythe Morgan juggles many hats. She’s an Air Force brat, an Army wife, one time-Department of Army Civilian, mother/grandmother, antiques dealer, schoolteacher, former mayor’s wife, and sometimes-church pianist.

Her diverse experiences bring life to her characters and her stories. Her belief in true love, second chances, and forgiveness means you’ll always find a happy ending.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of American.

You can connect with Judythe on

Her Website
                 
Her Blog
                             
Her Amazon Author Page

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Guest Author: Judythe Morgan

Listening to Plot Ideas

People love to share their plot ideas once they find out you are an author. Truth is, for most writers, there are far more story ideas than time to write.

Most plots grow out of an author’s experiences. That is certainly true for me.

My debut novel grew from my time at Eighth Army Headquarters, South Korea. The Pendant’s Promise, published in 2012, chronicles the lives of three people who met during the Vietnam era.

A second book with the same characters came about because readers wanted to know more about their past. While flattered at the readers’ desire to know more, the requests put me in a quandary.

Stories about actions and events that precede something else are called preludes and usually written first. The order of publication would be all wrong.

Still, after multiple appeals over the next year, I caved and published a prelude then moved on to other writing projects.

I never dreamed there would be any more books about the three characters, but recently, a reader contacted me and wanted to know how two secondary characters in the original story got together.

That story idea had not occurred to me. Plus, it had now been years since the out-of-order prelude. Would readers even want to read another book with the same characters?

I promised her I’d think about it.

Shortly after my discussion with that reader, I stumbled upon an article about the recovery of the remains of First Lieutenant William Ryan, who was killed in action when his plane was shot down in Laos on May 11, 1969. After nearly 48 years, Lieutenant Ryan will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on May 10, 2017.

After further research on POW/MIAs and reading numerous personal accounts of families with loved ones missing in military actions, I realized there were so many wives and mothers without closure. An idea formed, one that would accommodate the time lapse between the previously published novels.

Until He Returns, the story my reader wanted, releases this summer. While writing it, another plot sprouted and now a fourth book in the PROMISES series is in the works.

As writers, we have all experienced long-winded discussions with those who have a story we should write. Most of the time, we simply smile and nod.

I’m so glad I didn’t this time.

About UNTIL HE RETURNS:

Shirley Carlson’s husband has been MIA in Vietnam for decades. She’s filled her life with family, friends, her business, and David Sands’ companionship. Now David wants more. Only she wants her husband home and buried before she moves forward with another relationship.

David Sands has loved Shirley for years, patiently waiting for her to come to terms with her husband’s death. After one last assignment to the Middle East, he’s retiring from the Army. All he wants is Shirley at his side, as his wife. He proposes before he deploys.

Will Shirley make a commitment without closure to her past life, or will she watch her new love walk away?

Author Bio:

Award-winning author Judythe Morgan juggles many hats. She’s an Air Force brat, an Army wife, one time-Department of Army Civilian, mother/grandmother, antiques dealer, schoolteacher, mayor’s wife, and sometimes-church pianist.

Her diverse experiences bring life to her characters. Her belief in true love, second chances, and forgiveness means you’ll always find a happy ending.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of American.

Connect with Judythe:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter           

Giveaway:

Sign up for Judythe’s newsletter to receive a free eReader copy of Love in the Morning Calm, Prelude to The Pendant’s Promise (the out-of-order prelude) in the PROMISES series and be first to know the official release dates for her new releases.